Individual & Community Responsibility Exodus 22:16-31

Imagine six hundred thousand men, besides women and children, being delivered from slavery under the cruel bondage of Egypt. They were a people born into slavery and bondage without the freedom to think on their own or to make decisions for themselves on how they were to conduct their daily lives. These people who were told what to do from sunrise to sunrise had been freed by YeHoVaH to live together in community as a nation.

To establish cohesion, order, and self-respect for each other and their neighbors, YeHoVaH gave Instructions and Laws to govern this new nation of free people who were no longer slaves. This was done in order for them to maintain their freedom, have the ability to live harmoniously with each other, and to be protected in His presence.

Peaceful coexistence, among former slaves in community living, required all members of the community to be on the same page. Each person had to be accountable for their actions and responsible for maintaining peace and harmony in the community. In this portion of Exodus, we will examine the Laws YeHoVaH gave that required Individual & Community Responsibility.